InjuryBoard Phoenix

Ironically, Arizona Senator Jon Kyl recently invoked a tool to secretly object and withhold from consideration in the United States Senate a bill modifying the Freedom of Information Act. In contrast to Senator Kyl's initially secret actions, the legislation known as the Open Government Act had been drafted to make government activity less secret and more open to public scrutiny. Senator Kyl...

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A few months ago, I shared a concern that, despite warnings about unnecessary risks of exposing social security numbers and other personal information to identity theft, the Maricopa County Recorder's Office continued to allow unfettered access to private confidential information on its web site. Thankfully, it appears that the County has been working toward a resolution of this problem. ...

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As if struggling with and battling cancer is not enough, according to a researcher at Johns Hopkins Children Center, children often must also face the additional battle of having to overcome problems relating to medication errors. Children with cancer often get the wrong dose of chemotherapy or are given the drug at the wrong time, and many require treatment because of the errors, U.S....

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Based upon increasing public pressure, yesterday lobbyist Michael Baroody removed his name from consideration to head the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). In another post, I questioned whether a lobbyist for the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) should head an organization which has conflicting objectives. The National Association of Manufacturers lobbies on behalf of many...

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Recently Purdue Pharma, together with three company executives, agreed to plead guilty to misleading the public in its marketing approach for the narcotic drug OxyContin. The company also agreed to pay fines and other assessments totalling $600 million dollars in one of the largest criminal penalties ever assessed against a company. According to the New York Times, Purdue Pharma mislead the...

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If you believe that you have been defamed by a public official, should you have the right to file a defamation lawsuit? The Arizona Attorney General's office has asked the Arizona Supreme Court to decide this issue. In January, 2007, the Arizona Court of Appeals allowed a developer to sue Attorney General Terry Goddard for defamation when he informed the media that the developer:committed...

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Last week, the Arizona Legislature passed the Teenage Driver Safety Act, legislation which places driving limitations on new young drivers to help minimize risk of automobile accidents. The bill limits teens as follows:The act provides for driving restrictions from midnight to 5 a.m. and passenger limitations for the first six months a new teen driver holds a Class G driver's license. According...

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Talk about a fox guarding the hen house, the Bush administration recently nominated a lobbyist and Executive Vice President of the National Association of Manufacturers to head the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Describing the consumer safety purposes for its existence, the CPSC:is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than...

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The Transportation Security Administration has apparently lost a computer hard drive containing personal information concerning over 100,000 employees this week possibly exposing them to risk of identity theft. According to the TSA, the hard drive was discovered missing from a controlled area and officials have called in the FBI and Secret Service to assist in the investigation to determine the...

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Today in the Los Angeles Times, I read about the health insurance company Blue Shield of California which has been sued by a policyholder alleging bad faith for refusing to pay medical bills totalling $450,000 arising out of a serious car accident. According the the article, the insureds applied for health insurance, paid premiums and received an individual policy through Blue Shield of...

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